City Council
Seeks Public Relations Firm
Last night the Bend City Council
heard from two former mayors who
presented the Council with a
petition signed by 450 Bend
residents. The petition focused
on the city’s Juniper Ridge
development and the concerns
these residents, some long-term
Bendites, have about Juniper
Ridge and the potential
financial exposure this
development could have on the
city. After an hour long
discussion, the City Council
voted five to two to hire a
public relations firm to better
communicate the Juniper Ridge
message to the community. It was
clear from the Council member’s
discussion that a clear majority
of the council favors moving on
with the project, requesting the
community to wait and see the
Disposition and Development
Agreement (DDA), which should be
released to the community for
public comment in the coming
weeks.
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Oregon’s
Economic Index Shows Gain
The Oregon Economic Index,
produced by the University of
Oregon gained 0.6% in July,
rising to 103.6 (1977 = 100) and
rebounding from two consecutive
months of declines. Two of the
indicators which comprise the
index – Oregon help-wanted ads
and interest rate spreads –
deteriorated in July. The
remaining six indicators posted
increases for the month. July’s
data: Unemployment Claims =
6,174; residential building
permits = 1,890; Help-wanted Ads
= 37,468; Weight Distance Tax in
thousands of dollars = $ 21,974;
Non-farm income in thousands of
dollars = $1,726.3; Consumer
Confidence = 90.4; New orders
for manufactured goods in
millions of dollars = $42,326:
and, 10-Year Treasury Bonds
interest rate spread was down by
.26
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Workforce
Housing Solutions 101
The Central Oregon Builders
Association (COBA), HousingWorks
and the Bend Chamber are teaming
up to host a $15 breakfast
(thanks to COBA for underwriting
the meal expense) on October 4,
2007 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at
the Bend Golf and Country Club.
The topic is solutions being
undertaken by HousingWorks and
COBA to address our shortage of
affordable workforce housing.
Businesses tell the Chamber that
finding workers, housing them
and transporting them are their
top three business issues. RSVP
by calling the Bend Chamber at
382-3221 or visit:
www.bendchamber.org/housing.
If developing housing for our
workforce which is affordable to
rent or buy is important to you,
plan on attending this important
first step and consider signing
up to be a member of the
Workforce Housing Working Group
at the close of the breakfast.
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